Running With Wolves [On Hold]

Chapter 36, Orson

17 years ago, aged 16

"WAKEY WAKEY BOYS! WE LEAVE IN FIVE!" A voice booms across the field, stirring me awake.

I groan upwards, my hand still clenching hard around my weapon like I do every time I wake from any sleep we are fortunate to get during the time of war, I need it as much as anyone here, but no one is as foolish as to fall asleep without your weapon close by.

I learned that the first week during my first day in combat.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare, Orson." 

I look to my left and see Rhion, a pale thin boy who is around my age who hasn't left my side in the past year, at first I loathed the sight of him, now I'm coming to the idea it's better to have someone to care about you then to not have anyone at all.

I grunt as my response. 

My body still feels beaten and used beyond its capabilities, I'm still recovering from the night before when we ambushed a camp of Edath, whom we are at war with, one of the sixth realms to which I live in.

"Are you alright?" Rhion asks, his voice laced in concern.

His pale hand touches mine and I shove him off me. "I'm fine."

Everyone around us rises with their weapons, I watch them go to where we left the horses for the night as we get ready to go to the next location.

Same thing every day without fail for the past two years, night after night, camp after camp, we ambush and kill any we find in sigh, only if they bear the colors of Edath, Red, and Blue.

Rhion walks beside me, holding the sword that is half his height in his hands as he tries to keep up with my long strides. "You can tell me you know, I think I earned your respect by now."

I look at the small boy who is my age yet much smaller than me.

He's still bringing that up? A month ago he had saved my life, well, not really but he did help me not get stabbed in the back with a poisoned dagger which would've taken a week to heal from, and ever since that raid, Rhion hasn't let me forget it.

What he didn't know was I respected anyone, weak or strong who was brave enough to stare the enemy in the eyes face to face, unlike the people I serve, the lords, ladies, and royalty to which I fight for, those are the ones I can never respect. 

The thousands of us who had no choice but to enter to protect our world from an invasion fought and fought until we could barely stand, for two years it's been like this, whilst the ones who caused conflict with Edath, the royals, and those of high title sit in their castles and palaces living the carefree life of kings and queens.

"Was it your mother again?" Rhion asks, not dropping the subject and he unhooks his horse from the tree he tied the rope around.

This kid... even though he is the closest thing I have to a friend, sometimes I want to leave him in the middle of a forest and run away and never look back, just to avoid his questioning.

"No." It was, but I don't tell him that, I don't want to talk about it any more than I have already with him, which is not a lot, just the obvious, that she was murdered before me.

Since the death of my mother, who was killed in front of me, I don't think I have ever slept in all my years since leaving that place, that place we served as slaves. The only reason I was freed as a slave was that she died and the Lord of the house deemed me an eyesore, so he kicked me to the streets to die.

Fucking too bad for him, I survived, but who is the joke really on? I am just as miserable as I was serving under that monster of a Lord, who found it humorous to force women and children to work to death- even going as far as to beat them to death.